Building the MTH HO scale, 60' wood deck flatcar with Diecast Masters 1:87th (previously Norscot) Caterpillar D9T Tractor load.


migalyto said:
Top notch job explaining Toot! Now if MTH would re-run these, I could gobble up 10 or so.
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They are starting to appear on ebay. Haven't seen any TTX, but there was a couple of NS and CSX. I think they've only done 4 roads this time, all Class1's, NS, CSX, UP & TTX and apparently only 2 road numbers in each. The first release, years ago had several now, fallen flags and 6 numbers each. The ones I saw were all at MRSP of $29.95.
 
Been having a bit of siding week, this week with replacing the front fence and messing with the mini-cam, instead of what the project is. Seeing I'm planning on going to the club tomorrow night, I think I'll just get the deck for the last Dozer load, painted as per usual. Might even do both and make up another, not necessary to be modified load to take with me. Forecast says rain during the day, a good excuse.
 
Give this thread a Bump. The 7th and last D9T is on it's flatcar and have added the 1st pair of 320D Excavators onto another. These at least don't take so much work. These 2 cars have the decks on them that I soaked the paint off, the Dozer one I scorred board grooves deeper, the excavator one I left as delivered. Stripping the paint did make it easier to paint with less coats and colors, but didn't enhance the groove's appearance more, like I thought it would. It seems leaving the makers paint on gave that extra depth needed to achieve that. They should paint them gray, silly painting them a cream color. I know that may be what new wood looks like, but it doesn't stay that way long.
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Now, why did it take looking at the picture to tell me what I did wrong, hope I can unstick them.
 
Now, why did it take looking at the picture to tell me what I did wrong, hope I can unstick them.[/QUOTE]

At least you're consistent. Or is it the 'Down Under' way?
 
ShermanHill said:
At least you're consistent. Or is it the 'Down Under' way?
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Dun'no what I was thinking, they don't usually ship them, new, with the bucket attached anyway. Can get them off, just a bit more difficult with the tracks glued down. The buckets came off with a bit of paint, that's no problem, just the drilling out of the pivot rivets. That's what you do when it's late at night.
 
tootnkumin said:
Dun'no what I was thinking, they don't usually ship them, new, with the bucket attached anyway. Can get them off, just a bit more difficult with the tracks glued down. The buckets came off with a bit of paint, that's no problem, just the drilling out of the pivot rivets. That's what you do when it's late at night.
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I hope you're going farther than the buckets.. the 'crowds' are upside down also.
 
ShermanHill said:
I hope you're going farther than the buckets.. the 'crowds' are upside down also.
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By the 'crowds' I assume you mean the links etc, attached to the buckets (not familiar with the name for them), but yes they will be coming off too. Having made this mistake I now realise why when transported 2 per car, all of those "bits" are removed. What has always puzzled me though is why do those parts not seem to accompany them on the same car?
I'm not too sure what the ex operators from the Dozers are doing, some sort of farewell fanfare gesture to the last one perhaps?
 
I did the correction and spent some time trying to make the tracks look more realistic. This was the best of the 4, just have to devise a clip method that will hold the track down both ends at the same time while the CA sets fully. Holding them down by pressing with two smal screwdrivers is tiring.
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..just have to devise a clip method that will hold the track down both ends at the same time while the CA sets fully.

Just a little dusting of baking soda will greatly accelerate the cure time of any CA, like immediately.
 
ShermanHill said:
..just have to devise a clip method that will hold the track down both ends at the same time while the CA sets fully.

Just a little dusting of baking soda will greatly accelerate the cure time of any CA, like immediately.
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Didn't know that. Is that baking soda, as in bi-carbonate of soda? The CA I'm using is supposed to be 10 seconds. I had to remove these rubber, or rubberised plastic tracks and dunk them in hot water to get the kinks/misshapen bits out of them, think I'll add some alcohol to it and wash the model's base as well. This was an afterthought once they were mounted to the deck. I've got 2 more sets to do.
 
migalyto said:
Toot,

I just ran across this, looks like Walthers are going to have a run of these for future release. Don't know how they compare to the MTH cars, but might be of interest.

https://www.walthers.com/60-general...0-and-40-container-loading-yellow-black-white
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An interesting new addition to the types. May have been the basis for TTX's other 60' heavy load car, the TTHX, which had the tiedown channels welded onto the sides. Just to confuse matters, I read somewhere that, that designation is now defunct and they have been re-designated also as HTTX.
While looking for a picture of one, I came across this BNSF specification for these cars https://www.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/ways-of-shipping/equipment/chain-tie-down-flatcars.html

Here's one (TTHX) with the newer TTX red logo too
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tootnkumin said:
Didn't know that. Is that baking soda, as in bi-carbonate of soda? The CA I'm using is supposed to be 10 seconds. I had to remove these rubber, or rubberised plastic tracks and dunk them in hot water to get the kinks/misshapen bits out of them, think I'll add some alcohol to it and wash the model's base as well. This was an afterthought once they were mounted to the deck. I've got 2 more sets to do.
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Yep. Just plain ol' sodium bicarbonate.. Arm&Hammer brand around here. NZ....?
 
ShermanHill said:
Yep. Just plain ol' sodium bicarbonate.. Arm&Hammer brand around here. NZ....?
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We've probably got some in the Pantry, that's a handy hint, there are times when an instant set would be handy, post application. If I make or can get some straight, open clips of even size (staples or some such) that will slip under the track carrier's bottom edge and over the top track to hold them in the desired position, then apply the glue to the sprockets/track grooves, it should also tension the straight part that will sit on the deck. I found with that, that they needed further glue being applied between deck and tracks and then pressing them down into contact to make them sit as they should, I used the long chisel blade I removed the decks with to achieve that. With the blocks and chains installed, they should look really good. Hydraulic lines to the rams would really finish them off.

It is a pity Norscot didn't do a larger Cat excavator, they did a Case model instead and far as I've seen, nothing else from that brand.
 
These will be the tiedown chains/tensioner's that I will use on many of these loads, where the chains attach to the lower parts of the item
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They are plastic on a sprue, 15 chain assemblies @ 1" long and 12 strapping tensioners. They also make them in brown #12109. None in stock when I got these at the time. Cut to length as needed.
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While hunting around for something to make clips for the tracks out of, paper clips came to mind. Here is the result
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Cut the larger end out of the clip, leaving one leg longer, so it can be pushed over the top track first and feed the botom leg under the side suspension carrier at each end. Apply glue to the sprocket and idler wheel where they sit within the tracks inner groove. Spots of glue where the top jockey wheels contact the track as well to make sure the track retains it's modified shape.
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Noice one!
 
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